Painful Memories V 2
by Shoujo's Revenge
Summary: Ayane gave her child to Genkai and stays away from her love, Hiei, for family honor. When her friend tells her that she might have Hiei's baby, Ayane's heart breaks. Can she really stay away from him especially when her heart is hurting? Hieixoc,Kuramaoc
1. Miru

Title: Painful Memories v. 2

Author: Phoenix Kaen

A/N: In this story, my original characters, Mizuki and Ayane are both Hiei's love interests. I'm so lazy these days that I don't bother to create new characters; Mizuki is from One Stormy Night and Ayane is from Painful Memories. The **bold **means the past events, the _italic _means thoughts and **_the bold and italic together _**means past thoughts

Disclaimer: Yoshihiro Togashi owns the series Yu Yu Hakusho.

"So what was the reason for meeting me here, Mizuki or should I say Mrs. Minamino?" asked Ayane who was now in her mid-twenties. She wore all black; a black turtleneck with a black pleated skirt and black heels. Her long black hair was clipped back into a bun with a diamond clip.

"Ayane-chan, don't talk to me that way. We've been friends for about ten years now..." Mizuki said sadly. She wore a pink vest over a white blouse, a long pink skirt and brown shoes. Her elbow long brown hair was pulled back into a single braid.

"So what? Friends can drift apart. Now what is it that you want from me?" Ayane asked, apathetic to Mizuki's pained expression.

"It's been years since we've seen each other. I just wanted to see you and talk about old times," Mizuki said, looking at the table than at Ayane.

"Something's bothering you," Ayane said, immediately dropping the cold tone in her voice. "Whenever you're sad, you would look at anything but at somebody."

"Heh. I'm surprised you remembered that," Mizu said, raising her head so that Ayane could see the pathetic look on her face. The tears ran uncontrollably. Mizuki seized her napkin and tried to wipe away her tears before the waiter came by. Ayane's hand caught hers and shook her head. "If you want to cry, just cry. You'll feel better." She said with a kind smile. Mizuki smiled, too. Her bestfriend was acting like herself again, not like the hateful demon huntress who disapproved of Mizuki's relationship with a certain demon. But what would she think if Mizuki told her what she wanted to say?

"Thank you, Aya-chan," Mizuki said. Aya-chan was Mizuki's nickname for Ayane.

"No problem, Mizu-chan," said Ayane. She leaned back in her chair and sipped her French vanilla coffee. While Mizuki sobbed, Ayane observed Mizuki's current state and could smell a strong odor.

"You're pregnant, aren't you, Mizu?" Ayane asked seriously. The brunette nodded and continued to dab at her eyes with a napkin. Ayane could tell it from one whiff. Being the descendent of a famous demon hunting clan, Ayane has the ability to sniff out a demonic aura. Since Mizuki was married to Kurama, Ayane could only deduce that Mizu was carrying his child.

"You would think that I would be happy," Mizuki said with a squeak and choked. "Wouldn't you?" She smiled a light smile. "It's ironic. I should be thrilled at the new arrival and I am," She put her hand on her yet to be big stomach and closed her eyes. "Yet at the same time, I'm so ashamed." The statement surprised Ayane, whose amber eyes widened.

"Ashamed?" Ayane repeated. Back then Mizuki swore that she would love Kurama even if he was a demon, Ayane, being her bestfriend could not bring herself to take his life. Ayane knew that Mizuki would be happy to spent the rest of her life with him. Naturally, the announcement that she was ashamed of their baby was surprising.

"This is not his baby, it's someone else's. It's-" Mizuki fought back another sob. Ayane's grip on her coffee loosened and the cup crashed down on the floor.

With her black hair down, she walked up the numerous steps up to Genkai's temple. She could hear the familiar gleeful laughter of her own flesh and blood as she walked closer to the temple. She smiled lightly as she relished in the sweet laughter of her daughter. How she missed the shrill laughter...Tears threatened to spill but Ayane regained herself. She couldn't even consider herself a mother. A real mother wouldn't abandon her child with someone else just because she, herself, felt disgusted with boring a demon's child. How could she have ever thought that when her own child was a half-demon?

"I found you, Aunt Yukina!" She could hear the little girl cried gleefully.

"Aww, how did you know I was there?" Yukina asked with feigned frustration.

"'Cause that's where you always hide!" The little girl answered.

Ayane finally stood in front of the entryway but she couldn't bring herself to knock. She looked forlornly at the ground.

"**Mommy, do you love me?" Miru asked, looking up at her mother, who was holding her hand. They were walking up many stairs, Ayane carrying a little backpack and a small suitcase full of Miru's clothes.**

"**Miru," Ayane said, stopping and sat down on the stair. She looked into Miru's eyes and could see the resemblance there; a characteristic that would remind her forever. Miru looked back at her with her sad eyes. She could sense that someone was wrong. Ayane ran her hands through Miru silky shoulder-length hair and pulled her closer. She held tightly onto Miru, crying. The latter tried to calm her mother down by telling her that everything was okay. Although, the naive child didn't know about Ayane's family legacy and the forbidden relationship between her father and Ayane. "You have no idea how much I love you and your father," Ayane whispered into Miru's ear, still clutching onto her as if for dear life.**

Ayane raised her fist again. Should she do it?

"**MOMMY!" Miru cried, restrained by Yukina. "Don't leave me, mommy! I love you, too, mommy! I wanna go home with you, mommy, please!" With her back turned on her only child, Ayane kept on walking. **

From inside of the dojo, she could hear another burst of laughter from Miru.

"**Ayane, you are the last of the Anda clan! How could you disgrace yourself by becoming so friendly with a fire demon?" Her youthful looking grandma said with disgust. **

**Ayane hung her head down. "I am sorry, grandmother," she said with respect and out of sorrow. Her heart can't beat her family's duty. The Anda family was the last of the demon hunter family; the future generation must be purely human. It was Ayane's duty alone to marry a capable human man and produce a future demon hunter. "I will become a good girl from now on and carry out my duty."**

"**Good. If I found out that your future came true, I'll kill your demonic offspring then the demon who seduced you," Lisa said anger.**

"**Yes, grandmother," Ayane said automatically. _Mizuki is so lucky. She is free to choose whoever she wants to be with her even a demon. But me? I've always been Ayane Anda, the demon hunter. Because my parents were killed by demons, I've always hated them but since meeting Mizuki, Kurama and Hiei. I've come to discover that they're not all bad. Still, how could I fall for one so easily after all my years of hatred? _**

"Ayane-san?" Keiko said, surprised to see her after so long. Ayane looked up at the familiar woman with her eyes full of tears. Keiko had slid the paper door open and behind her, black-haired Miru and aqua-green haired Yukina looked at Ayane in surprise. The former jumped with renewed energy and ran towards Ayane. "MOMMY!" Ayane could feel Miru's tears sinking into the fabric of her clothes. She felt the impact of Miru's crushing hug as she stared widely then with shaking arms, circled them around Miru's tiny form.

"Mommy! You came back for me!" Miru cried, hugging her mother tighter. She didn't want her to ever go away again. Sure, Yukina and Genkai kept her company but they weren't her mother. Ayane smiled in Miru's hair.

"Yes, I came back for you," she said, closing her eyes, enjoying this warm embrace.

"**This is not his baby, it's someone else's. It's-" Mizuki fought back another sob. Ayane's grip on her coffee loosened and the cup crashed down on the floor.**

"**It's Hiei's. At least, that's what I think. I'm sorry, Aya-chan! Sorry, you probably want me to call you Anda-san now," Mizuki said, burying her face in her hands.**

**Ayane's heart felt it broke into a million pieces. _He cheated on me? Then again, it's not like we agreed to remain faithful to each other. But with my own bestfriend? _Ayane sat on her chair, her arms now swinging limply. Ayane smiled sadly. _Then again, why not? She's always had feelings for him and she _**is **_better than me. _Even as she reasoned with herself, she couldn't stop the burning feeling in her chest; the feeling of heartbreak. The one feeling that showed Ayane how much she truly loved him. **

A/N: End of chapter 1. Please tell me what you think in a review. I will only continue if there's at least five reviews that isn't the usual 'I love your story!' or 'continue'.


	2. Blood, Tears and Love

Title: Painful Memories V. 2

Author: Phoenix Kaen

Summary: Demon huntress, Ayane left her only child with Genkai and agreed to stay away from her one love, Hiei for family honor. When her bestfriend reveals that she may be having his baby, Ayane remembers all her painful memories. Can she really stay away from him even if her heart is slowly breaking? Can she escape from her family's legacy or will she collapse under the pressures of her difficult life?

Couples: HieixAyane(oc)xMizuki(oc) and KuramaxMizuki(oc)

Disclaimer: Yoshihiro Togashi owns the series Yu Yu Hakusho.

Chapter 2: Blood, Tears and Love

Past

Ayane spat out blood as her body lay sprawled on the floor, looking up at Lisa standing before her. Lisa had a pained but furious expression on her face. Lisa, who usually approves with her granddaughter's decisions and actions, was wondering how all these years of raising her. She never had to raise a hand on her. How did she get to be so rebellious? Whatever Lisa said, Ayane would always obey but now because of **him**, because of one word, love, Ayane would throw all reason out of the window. _But, no, she is my successor, she can't possibly be with a demon. She can't bear a demon child; I won't allow it. Even if she says that she loves him, I won't stand for it especially when I know that he's just toying with her. All demons are like that; they all have no heart. That's why they all need to die. I'm doing this for her own good._

"How dare you! After what happened to my daughter and your father, you're still willing to fall for a dirty demon!" Lisa screamed as she slapped Ayane hard across the face. The impact made the latter spit out more blood. Her face looked paler as she panted. Ayane didn't bother to dodge Lisa's assaults; she just remained on the floor, allowing Lisa to scream, kick and beat her to a bloody pulp. The almost bloodied 17-year-old teenager thought that she deserved to be punished for being an unfaithful granddaughter.

_Yes, I have to be punished. I fell for someone that I shouldn't have. _Ayane thought as blood came from her sides. _Sure, I could fight back but I know that I'm an embarrassment to my parents' memories now. _The pain dulled and she hardly even noticed when Lisa wrapped her hair in her fingers and lifted her head up. Then she kneed Ayane hard on the forehead. Ayane was dizzy but miraculously, she survived the attack. She wished that she could pass out. Her eyes were unfocused though she could still feel the pain.

"Stop it!" Mizuki's voice suddenly rang through the living room. However, Lisa proceeded her assaults. She didn't care if someone witnessed her brutality, she had to punish her for her own good. Ayane's bestfriend had burst in from the open door and ran in front of Ayane's battered body. She used her own body as a shield against Lisa's assaults only then did the woman stop.

"Get out of my way, Mizuki-san!" Lisa screamed. "I have to punish her for doing such an idiotic thing! She let a demon defile her own body!"

"NO! I won't let you! Mrs. Anda, how could you! Look at Ayane, you could barely recognize her under all that blood!" Mizuki quivered, sobbing. She turned around to Ayane to wipe the blood away from her face. Lying in a heap, Ayane could barely take in oxygen.

"Mi...zu...ki...?" Ayane whispered uncertainly, her vision blurred. Her fingers reached out for Mizu's.

"Yes, it's me, Aya-chan. Don't worry, I'll take you to him, okay? I know, he won't say it straight out but he loves you," Mizuki said, smiling. She held Ayane's limp hand while a tear rolled down her cheek, landed on Ayane's blood smeared facade.

"Loves me?" Ayane whispered weakly. Her voice was beginning to escape her. Mizu nodded, Ayane's hand on her face.

"Yes, we'll take you away from this life so you can live a happier one with him...I promise, friend. So stay awake, okay?" Mizuki sobbed. She put Ayane's arm around her shoulder to lift her body slowly.

"You're not going anywhere with Ayane, Mizuki-san, especially to that fire demon. I'm Ayane's only living relative and her guardian. It's my job to ensure what kind of future that she will have and that future doesn't include that demon. If you don't stop interfering, I won't hesitate in hurting you," Lisa said. There was a kind of determined light that shone in Lisa's honey eyes. Mizuki's green eyes just glared back at her and continued to drag Ayane and herself to the door.

"Come on, Aya-chan. Be careful. We're almost there." Mizuki guided Ayane's limp body to the door. The stubborn Lisa won't give up so easily, however. Mizuki screamed, a dagger was embedded on the wall left of Mizuki, narrowly missing Ayane's shoulder.

"I warned you, Mizuki-chan," Lisa said calmly. She was holding four little daggers between her fingers, getting ready to throw another.

_Why did Mizuki scream? _Ayane was still half-conscious. Her body was numbing.

"Please, Mrs. Anda! You're acting crazy! AHH!" Mizuki screamed again. She ducked just in time as another dagger landed on the wall above her head.

'_Mrs. Anda?' Grandma's hurting Mizu! Stop, don't hurt her! Ugh...I'm so weak now...I can't protect her. _An overwhelming sleep came over Ayane though she did try to fight it, she could no longer avoid it. Her head fell limp on Mizuki's shoulder, unable to prevent Lisa's attacks.

Mizuki's legs froze as another dagger was aimed for her. She squeezed her eyes shut and covered Ayane but she was left wide open. Instead of feeling the dagger's pain, she heard someone's groan, she opened her eyes. They widened in horror. The dagger was embedded in Kurama.

"Why?" Mizuki whispered. _Why save me after all those times of rejecting your feelings?_ She closed her eyes, tears came running down. _Idiot. I'm such an idiot. Why didn't I fall for him instead? Why did I fall for someone who didn't care for me? I'm so so stupid. Why did he have to get hurt for me 'til I finally realized that he really cares for me?_

Lisa was furious to know that even Mizuki was also associating with another demon. She tried to attack Kurama but he dodged. He created a diversion and they got away. Lisa didn't chase after them though she just stood there in anger. Meanwhile, the injured Kurama and Mizuki got Ayane safely at Genkai's. It was about a week later that Ayane finally woke up. It was about two weeks after that she found out that she was pregnant...

Present

"Mommy! Mommy!" Miru called her. Ayane raised her head and saw that Miru was on a swing. "Look how high I can go!" Ayane smiled as she watched the raven-haired little girl soared towards the sky with each swing. She was sitting on a bench aware of someone's presence, someone that was watching Miru and her.

"Be careful, Miru! I don't want you to get hurt, okay?" Ayane yelled.

"Okay, mommy!" Miru said gleefully. She continued to swing herself up again.

A light breeze started to blow; Ayane's long hair was caught in it. It sailed through the air while Ayane tried to push strands of hair back from her face. Her watcher thought of how beautiful she looked at that moment. "Today's a windy day!" Ayane muttered to herself.

He watched her as she struggled to keep her hair from blowing into her face. He leaned forward but hid behind a branch full of colorful autumn leaves. He knows that he can't see her anymore but he can't help it. For the past five years, he had kept a good front by pretending to not care about her. The struggle was the task itself; he wasn't able to erase Ayane's face from his mind especially when he looked into the face of his own daughter. Miru looked almost exactly like Ayane except that she had his red eyes. There were times when his heart would break just by looking at Miru; Ayane's face would just show up in his mind. Then every one of his memory of her would start to flash before his eyes. He remembered her happy face, her sad face, her angry face, her worried face and her other expressions.

Down below the tree, Ayane looked beyond the swing set and across the horizon. _How long has it been since I decided to pick up Miru? _Ayane looked at her silver watch and it read 8: 35. She sighed sadly. Miru's laughter was ringing in her ears. The night sky was dotted with stars. The crickets were playing their nightly song. _It's past Miru's bedtime but I'm so selfish, I want to spend more time with her. I want to make up for all the lost time. _Bored, Ayane sat up on the back of the bench and continued to watch Miru play. Then she started to hum a tune that herself and Hiei knew all too well. She knew that he was sitting on the tree right above her. He was respecting her wish of being far apart. She smiled happily. As happy as she was that his mere presence was there, she also wanted to cry. The three of them in the same place; it was like being one happy family. Though 'happy' wasn't exactly the right word to describe this particular family. The word 'estranged' came to mind when it came to describing this family. The mother and father wished to be a normal couple but that simple dream was impossible.

"Mommy, will you be here when I wake up?" Miru asked as Ayane stroked her forehead. Miru laid her head on a sky-blue pillow while Ayane was sharing a blanket with her. Her answer was a slight smile and a simple "We'll see."

"Now go to sleep," she said, pulling the covers over Miru. The child nodded and closed her eyes. Ayane was about to lay down with her when a small hand touched her wrist. She looked at Miru, who had tears running down her face but eyes still closed. "Please be here, mommy," she muttered softly, barely wrapping her tiny fingers around Ayane's wrist. She responded by kissing her forehead, wiped away Miru's tears and held her until she slept. Miru curled up to Ayane as if afraid she will never see her mom again. A figure stood outside of the room, a hand on the doorframe and watching the two sleeping in each other's arms. He could see Ayane's tears shining on her cheeks from the outside moonlight. If only he could wipe them away...

Mizuki

As Mizuki sat in thought with chopsticks stuck from her closed lips, her bowl of cold rice sitting in front of her. Her older brother and her grandfather looked at each other then they both shook their head. Both of them then turned their gaze at Mizuki, who was staring up at the ceiling with vacant eyes. Ever since she came home from school that afternoon, she had been lost in a daze. Whenever they said anything to her, they only got a one or three word response. They felt her forehead to see if she had a cold but she felt just fine.

The chair scraped against the floor when Mizuki suddenly got up. Again, both her brother and grandpa looked at her. She told them that she wasn't hungry and left the dining room with her bowl and chopsticks in hand. She dumped them into the kitchen sink and ran up to her room.

The phone rang but as Mizu flicked on the light switch, she ignored the ringing phone. She flopped on the aquamarine bed with the lavender blankets and pillows. She buried her face in the comfortable pillows and let out all her tears. Mizuki was never the type that could keep her feelings for long. Her fists pounded the pillows as she wept. Her hot tears stained the pillow covers. She closed her eyes, embedding her short nails into the pillow.

_Why wouldn't he just leave me alone! Why am I so angry when I should be grateful? _

She could remember what had happened that day at school. The mere memory was embarrassing for her to relive it again and again. Though she couldn't help but run it over and over again in her mind. Her pain didn't begin that particular day though; it began the day when he told her that he didn't prefer her but somebody else. Then again, why did she fall for him instead of Shuuichi? If she fell in love with the latter, she probably would've been happy.

She closed her eyes and relived today's events again:

The bell had rang for today's dismissal. The students eagerly filed out of the room until no one except the teacher and Mizuki was left. One would've expected the twenty-years-old teacher to talk to Mizu about something important. Instead, she was pretty shocked when he asked her if she was doing something that night.

"Sensei?" She looked at him with distaste. Although, he was attractive and young for a teacher; no one expected him to do such a thing especially when he was so nice to everyone. He didn't appear to be a pervert in anybody's eyes.

"You're so beautiful, Mizu-chan," he said, reaching out to touch her face. Mizuki slapped his hand away.

"Stop it or I'll tell the principal," she said calmly, avoiding his gaze.

"I can tell that you're in pain right now," he said in a soft tone. Mizuki's eyes started to moisten but she wasn't about to let him see her tears. "Did somebody dump you? If you were, then whoever did was a fool."

She hastily wiped her eyes with her hands though her eyes were becoming puffy and red. "It's none of your business!" She yelled at him, running past him. Though he caught up to her and hugged her from behind. More than anything, all Mizuki wanted was to be held like this by someone that she loved. _Why did he have to fall in love with Ayane, of all people? What did Ayane have that I didn't have? _Of course, this 'he' that she was referring to was Hiei.

Ever since the first day she met him, she thought that he looked so lonely. Perhaps, it was his loneliness that attracted the caring Mizuki to him because from that moment on, she would try to catch a glimpse of him whenever she could. Sometimes she had prepared food just for him like a real girlfriend would do for her boyfriend. He accepted them the lunches gradually and he got used to her. However, her warm smile and mere presence wasn't enough to melt the ice around his heart. When her demon-hating bestfriend, Ayane discovered Mizuki's affections for the fire demon, she tried to kill him for 'Mizu's own good.' Mizuki refused to let her kill Hiei. The caring bestfriend didn't want to see Mizu cry so she let it go. Although, after that fateful meeting the fire demon couldn't quite get Ayane's angry look off his mind.

It was only two days ago when Mizuki had confessed her love for him, that she found out that his heart belonged to the angry demon huntress. She was more than crushed by his hurtful words. She had made a fool out of herself was what she thought. She had hoped that by trying to be with him everyday would get him to open up to her; maybe fall in love with her like she had with him. Now she knew that she was a fool to even think that. That's when selfishly, she thought if Ayane was never born then he would love her. She berated herself for thinking of such a selfish thing. After all, Ayane deserved to be loved by somebody especially when she's been through so much.

_But what is it about Ayane that he likes? Is it because she's much more beautiful than me? Is it because of her lonely eyes or the sad aura that seems to surround her? _In any case, after that day, Mizuki pretended to be her happy old self but the pain was killing her.

Mizuki was just a regular sixteen-years-old girl that only wanted that special someone to love her back.

"Mizu-chan?" His husky voice broke into her thoughts. "What are you thinking about?" His hold tightened but she didn't struggle. Another tear slid down her cheek. Was she this pathetic? It was funny how for one person, she can just throw out all her common sense for love.

"Why can't he hold me like this? Why can't he tell me that I'm beautiful? Why did he have to fall for her!" She screeched. The teacher took this to mean the guy who made her so sad.

"Hush. Whoever you're talking about is stupid to let someone like you go so choose me," the perverted teacher whispered in her ear. Those sweet but false words were enough to make her melt; she couldn't help but be so impulsive right now. She just wanted to feel better now.

"Huh?" She wasn't quick enough to comprehend what had happened. It had happened so fast. The next thing that she knew was that she ended up in someone else's arms and that the teacher was on the floor, holding his punched face. She looked up at her savior and saw a pair of green eyes that was glaring down at the teacher. Suddenly, she blushed. It was Kurama that was protectively putting his arms around her shoulders.

"Shuuichi-kun?" She said in surprise. Suddenly, her heart skipped a beat.

"Are you okay, Mizuki-chan?" he asked with concern. She nodded slowly. "He didn't do anything to you?" She wordlessly shook her head. Then he turned to the teacher. "Sensei, you're nothing but a lecher. Don't touch Mizuki-chan again or the consequences will be dire." With that said, he walked out of the classroom with Mizuki, who was shaking. He thought that she was shaking with fear but it was from anger.

"Why did you save me?" Mizuki asked quietly with suppressed anger. She was acting like an immature brat but she didn't care, the last thing she wanted was for him to save her. She probably looked so pathetic and desperate to him right now. That was enough to make her feel ashamed of herself. She was really angry with herself than him. Being a human though made her blame somebody else even if it was someone who saved her.

"I already told you before, Mizuki. You're the only girl that I love. I wouldn't let anyone hurt you," Kurama said seriously, standing behind her. As soon he had said the word 'love', her face expressed pain.

_This must be what he felt when I rejected him...I'm sorry, Shuuichi-kun. I feel awful. Before Hiei rejected me, I used to secretly tell Shuuichi that I loved his close friend even though I already knew that he loved me. Though he seemed so understanding of my feelings and even tried to help me with my crush. I'm such a bitch. I have no right to be angry him; he's the one that should be angry with me. _She turned around and looked at him with tears in her eyes. _Why am I so stupid? Even when he told me he loves me, _she walked towards him, _I coldly told him that I wasn't interested. He could've had any girl that he wanted but he chose _me. Standing on her tippy toes, she leaned up and kissed his cheek. He wiped away her tears. She cried even more then she pushed him away and ran.

Looking back on it, Mizuki ripped her pillows sending feathers everywhere in the room. The phone rang again. She huddled in a dark corner of her room, holding her shaking form. The phone stopped ringing. Mizuki could hear her brother's muffled conversation to the person on the phone. Then his footsteps and his knocking, telling her that there's a phone call for her. She wiped her tears away, breathed in deeply and picked up the phone. She cleared her throat; she didn't want whoever it was to know that she's been crying. Her brother went back downstairs.

"Hello?" She croaked. It was Shuuichi. His gentle voice almost made her want to cry again.

"Hello, Mizuki-chan. You've been crying, haven't you?" His question was full of concern. "I found out what happened between you and Hiei today." Mizuki didn't say anything. "Remember when I said that I wouldn't let anyone hurt you?" He said sadly. "It's a bittersweet irony that I can't do anything to help you when I promised to make you happy. I can't help Hiei either since he has a deep attachment to Anda-san (Ayane). I care about both of you yet I still can't help you both."

She didn't respond. She just started to sob and he didn't say anything either. He knew it would be better if he just let her cry it out. He did wish he could just hold her and tell her everything would get better.

That was the first time that Mizuki started to feel something for Kurama...

Six years later...

She giggled as she surprised Kurama with a hug from behind. The latter turned around and kissed his lovely wife on the cheek then on the lips. Then he started to deepen the kiss, which made her blush (even though they've kissed like this before). They held each other tightly until Mizuki broke their kiss. "Welcome home," she said, smiling.

"I'm glad to be home," he said warmly.

Miru: Papa

Yukina managed to get the little girl to sleep but she still couldn't get the hurtful look in her copper eyes out of her mind. The little girl kept asking questions like: When will mommy be back? Did mommy leave her because she was a bad girl? Or she would just cry that she wanted her mommy to come back or that she wanted to go home. Either that, or she would just silently cry into her blanket. The snow maiden couldn't bear to see the fragile girl cry and tried to comfort her but Miru yelled at her to go away. Earlier that day, Yukina was sweeping the floor when Ayane and Miru came. Yukina watched Miru so Ayane could talk to Genkai in private. Miru was found to be a sweet, energetic and playful girl. She took a liking to Yukina, too. Ayane was glad to see that.

When Ayane was done talking to Genkai, she went over to Miru. "Miru, are you having fun with Yuki-chan?" Miru nodded with a sweet smile. "Would you like to play with her some more?"

"Yep! She taught me a new game, mommy. You wanna play, too?" Miru asked cheerfully. Ayane didn't respond, she hugged her, gave her a kiss on the head and left. Miru chased after her and called her but Ayane pretended to ignore her. She didn't have a choice. It was either leave her with someone trustworthy or have her child killed by her grandma. This way, Hiei could see his daughter whenever he wanted.

"MOMMY! Don't leave me! I love you, mommy!" Miru cried. She tripped. As she laid pathetically on the floor, Ayane biting her bottom lip reluctantly went on. "MOMMY!" Ayane kept telling herself 'don't turn around. Don't turn around.' If she did, then coming here to ask Genkai to watch Miru would've all been in vain.

"Mommy...Don't leave..." Miru pleaded quietly. Yukina held the crying child.

The next morning, Miru woke up to inaudible voices outside. Kicking the blanket aside, she rubbed her sleepy eyes then walked out of the bedroom. She followed the voices til she came to the main tea room where she saw an old lady with wavy hair and a strange man with black hair and red eyes stopped conversing since she slid the door open. The strange man seemed to survey her then he turned away from her; she thought that he looked a little sad. Because of manners that Ayane had taught her, the little girl bowed nervously and said good morning to the two.

"Obaa-san, do you know where my mommy is?" She asked.

"Your mother isn't coming back any time soon," Genkai said bluntly. "Instead, I want you to meet your father. Hiei, meet your daughter, Miru."

Genkai's first comment upset Miru. "You're wrong! Mommy's going to be back for me!" Miru yelled at her, forgetting all her manners. She wiped her fresh tears with her tiny hands. Hiei didn't really know what to do in this situation. He was not exactly good in comforting crying girls. With Ayane, he could just say some a normally hurtful comment but since Ayane was different from most girls, she would just smile at his brash comments. He looked to Genkai for help but she pretended to be busy drinking tea.

He got up slowly towards the crying girl. She didn't notice him. He petted her head, which got her attention, she looked up at him with curious eyes. Then she whined and pushed him away. She continued to whine for her mommy. He could almost laugh; this was how Ayane used to act when she cried. Once Hiei actually thought that by petting Ayane's head, he could make her feel better, she just whined and pushed him away (with much more force than Miru). Then as a last resort; he lifted the whimpering girl in his arms and held her. At first, she fidgeted in his foreign arms but she relaxed. She closed her eyes and in no time, she fell asleep. Secretly, Genkai smiled. Yep, she could tell that Hiei was going to be all right.

A few weeks had passed, Miru had acknowledged Hiei as her dad. Though one question burned in her mind:

"Daddy," Miru said one day, sitting on the grass with Hiei lying next to her. His eyes were closed. He grunted to acknowledge her. "How come mommy and you don't live together?" He opened his eyes. The little girl looked at him expectantly.

"We just...can't." He looked sad again, Miru noticed. With that, he got up and walked away. Miru got up and followed him. Hiei looked back at the smiling Miru, Ayane's smiling face suddenly appeared. Someday when Miru grows up, she'll be as beautiful as her mother. He's going to have to protect her from the wrong type of guys. For now, he'll just protect her from the loneliness and the painful truth.

_One day, I hope I can hug mommy and daddy at the same time. And that mommy and daddy will smile at the same time, too and that they can both sing me to sleep. _Miru smiled sweetly at the hopeful thoughts.

_Yep, one day mommy and daddy will hold my hands and smile at each other._

A/N: I didn't intend for Mizuki to look so pathetic in this chapter. Since she's supposed to be a typical teenage girl, I just kind of made her irresponsible and willing to sleep with a random person to lessen her pain. She is usually responsible but love really does change a person so...I'm also hoping that nobody finds this fic too sappy. Miru is so cute especially when she's sad and just needs someone to hold her.

Oh, one last note: I would like it if reviewers would comment on which original character they like so far: Ayane vs. Mizuki and why. Which part they liked better: the Ayane part, the Mizuki part or the Miru part and which particular scene they liked. Was Hiei or Kurama believable or were they out of character? Seriously, this shouldn't be too hard for anybody to do so please do what I ask. I'm desperate to know if my story telling skills and characterization are any good.

My personal favorite is Ayane just because she's more like me than Mizuki. Mizu is more cheerful; I would describe her as the average teenage girl. Her looks are more innocent while Ayane's looks are more womanish. Ayane is the type that keeps things in while Mizu likes to let it all out.


	3. Sonnet of the Lonely

Title: Painful Memories V. 2

Author: Phoenix Kaen

Summary: Demon huntress, Ayane left her only child with Genkai and agreed to stay away from her one love, Hiei for family honor. When her bestfriend reveals that she may be having his baby, Ayane remembers all her painful memories. Can she really stay away from him even if her heart is slowly breaking? Can she escape from her family's legacy or will she collapse under the pressures of her difficult life?

A/N: This fanfiction has the same name as one of my other YYH fanfic but this one isn't about Ayane losing her memory; it's more about the painful memories of the four main characters which are Ayane, Hiei, Kurama and Mizuki. Of course, the main couple is AyanexHiei. It's another version of Painful Memories, you could say.

Disclaimer: Yoshihiro Togashi owns the series Yu Yu Hakusho.

Chapter 3: Sonnet of the Lonely

**Hiei's Memory: "Yes, beautiful."**

"Daddy, how do I look?" Miiru asked, spreading her arms as she stood in front of him. She was wearing a light pink yukata with a cherry blossom pattern. The Spring Festival was tomorrow and everybody except for Hiei was going to celebrate it in the nearest town. Miiru smiled sweetly as she walked around with the wooden Japanese sandals. Her black hair was up in pigtails tied up with pastel pink ribbons. She almost tripped but Yukina who had just walked into the room, caught her.

"You have to be careful, Mi-chan," said Yukina.

"Hai, Aunt Yukina!" Miiru said and turned to Hiei again. "Am I pretty, daddy?" She asked excitedly.

Ayane had once asked him those very questions. "How do I look?" and "pretty" was replaced with "Am I beautiful?" He had never really seen her act so feminine not that she was manly. Ayane was never really the type to worry about how she looked like because she usually wasn't interested in attracting the opposite sex. So a few days after being healed by Yukina and Botan from Lisa's abuse when Ayane presented herself in a traditional Japanese lavender kimono, he was pleasantly surprised. He was waiting outside her temporary room (at Genkai's) when she came out. Hiei could see Keiko, Shizuru and Botan behind Ayane giggling but Ayane quickly slid the door closed.

Ayane's face was tomato red. Her copper eyes were rolling towards her room where the girls were still heard. She seemed nervous for some reason, he noticed. She was wearing a lavender kimono with a lighter shade of lavender for the bow tied behind her back. There was a white cherry blossom petals pattern on the kimono. Her lips looked pinker than usual and her cheeks were a little rosier. Her long hair usually trailing down her back and over her shoulders was tied back into a low ponytail. Ayane felt shy right now because of Botan's ridiculous insistence that she should wear a kimono. Now she was even wearing make-up. She usually never did this kind of thing. Demon hunters don't need make-up but then again, she was going to quit being one.

What Botan said drifted back to her mind: "Cold-hearted demons also have needs, don't they? Trust me, Ayane-chan, after he sees you in a kimono. He won't be able to take his hands off you." Ayane didn't want to go through with it after hearing that. Shizuru, however, had said things a little differently, a good difference.

She had said, "You would look beautiful in a kimono."

"Yes, he wouldn't be able to take his eyes away," Keiko had agreed, smiling. They convinced her but she also thought that she wanted to see his reaction. She wanted to show him that she could be feminine. He had never said otherwise but she wanted to take his breath away. She was nervous that it wouldn't work or that he would think that she looked like a slut. He can't, can he? Her make-up's pretty light. She touched her lips, Shizuru's lipstick shade wasn't too pink, was it? Suddenly she noticed that the both of them were quiet.

"So... do you want some tea?" Ayane burst out nervously. Unbeknownst to Ayane, Keiko; Botan and Shizuru were listening to their conversation. Hiei thought it was suspicious of them to stop giggling so suddenly. They were obviously listening in. Ayane would've noticed if she wasn't so nervous. She had a good mind to throw off her kimono and change back into her usual attire.

"I don't want any tea," he said plainly. "Why are you dressed like that?"

_Boy, is he blunt! _Ayane thought. Instead of answering, she countered him with another question. "How do I look? Be honest. Am-am I beautiful?" She hesitated on the last question. Her blush deepened just from asking that question. Again, she was nervous. What if he said 'no'? Ayane had never been called beautiful by anybody but it would be nice if the guy that she liked said that. She didn't have much faith in Hiei in saying that though. He couldn't even say the three important words if his life depended on it.

What was it that Mizuki that night when she took her away from Lisa? Oh, right. **"I know, he won't say it straight out but he loves you." **Ayane felt happy when she heard that even if she was half-conscious yet she also felt like she betrayed her grandma. Lisa had raised her after her parents were murdered but she also stopped her from being with the one she loved. When exactly did she become so sappy anyway? After six years of being aloof and feeling lonely, Ayane wanted someone to acknowledge her as more than a great demon huntress. She had also wanted to be known as a regular girl that wants to fall in love. She had fallen in love but with someone that's unwilling to express his feelings in words. Ayane _can _tell what he feels for her but it would be nice if he just said those words...

"Outside," he said simply. Ayane followed him outside to the back of the dojo. "They were listening into our conversation." He said simply when she looked at him questionably.

"Oh," she said, sitting down on a huge rock. She hadn't expected him to just say that. "Well, aren't you going to answer my questions?" She caught his eye but she lowered her head. "Do you think I look beautiful now?" She gulped inaudibly but he heard it.

"Does it really matter what I think?" He said. Uh-oh! That was the wrong response to the question.

"Does it matter? Does it matter?" Ayane asked the questions sarcastically. "Ugh! Of course it matters! Why can't you see that?" She suddenly got louder. Now anybody could definitely hear her. "YES, it does matter what _you _think! I wouldn't give a fuck if say, Yusuke, Kurama, Kuwabara or any other guy thinks I'm beautiful! It only mattered if you said it or told me what you think of me be-because I-I. Forget it! I shouldn't be wasting my breath, you already know how I feel." She turned her back on Hiei and was about to storm into the dojo.

"Yes, you're beautiful," he said. There was a sweatdrop on the back of his head. He meant it but he didn't expect Ayane to yell at him for his first response. Ayane never ever yelled at him like that.

"Really?" Ayane asked eagerly. Her blush deepened. She covered her lips with her sleeve and smiled deliriously. _I can't believe he actually said that! _Her eyes nervously looked down at the ground.

"Hn. I already answered you. Why should I answer you again?" Hiei said, crossing his arms.

Ayane couldn't help but start giggling. She hugged him from behind. "I love it when you say things like that," she said. She rested her head on his shoulder and he touched her arm.

"I always thought you're beautiful, Ayane..." He said. Her smile was even wider.

"Daddy? Daddy!" Miru called to him. He stopped reminiscing and looked up at his daughter who was standing in front of him. She was still modeling her new yukata for him. "Am I pretty?" She asked him again.

He smiled. "No." Miru looked like she was about to cry. "You're not pretty. Like your mother, you're beautiful."

"Beautiful like mommy?" Miru repeated. Then she smiled. "Thanks, daddy!" She launched herself on him, hugging him. "Come on, daddy. Come to the Spring Festival with us!"

In the end, she convinced him. On the way there, he couldn't help thinking back at that particular memory...

"Don't get used to this," Ayane said, pointing to her kimono. "I'll only wear this on special occasions. I'm going to change back to my ordinary clothes tomorrow. I'm going to train first thing in the morning then maybe I'm finally going to kick your ass."

"You never change, do you? You can never defeat me," Hiei said, smirking. His head was resting on Ayane's lap. The both of them were under a tree. One by one autumn leaves fell on them. Ayane was holding an orange leaf and tickling his nose with the tip. He swatted it away.

"You didn't change either. You're still cocky," she said with amusement. He closed his eyes. The pleasant wind blew the colorful fallen leaves around them. The air was fresh from Yukina's cooking. There was soft laughter coming from inside the dojo. The person that he loved was close to him. Her lap was comfortable. What a great place to fall asleep on. If only he could always experience this serene moment...

**Miru's Memory: Storytime**

"Mommy used to sit next to my bed and tell me a story. After storytime is over, she stays with me until I fall asleep. So stay there until I fall asleep, 'kay, daddy?" Miiru whispered.

Hiei just crossed his arms, nodding. Miiru giggled at her dad's quiet demeanor. Hiei didn't understand what was so funny. She reached over the side of the bed and hugged him. "Miiru wants to hear a story!" She exclaimed. Hiei tucked her back into bed.

"I don't know any bedtime stories," Hiei said.

"Eh! Didn't your mommy or daddy tell you bedtime stories?" Miiru asked, shocked. Hiei shook his head once. "Hmm..." she said as if in deep thought. "I know! I can tell you a story, ok? I'll tell you mommy's favorite story! It's my favorite, too!" She said excitedly. Then she started the story. As he listened to her voice, he could imagine Ayane herself telling Miru this story. Sometimes Miru's voice rose to particular parts of the story and he could hear Ayane's voice rising to the same parts, too. He could imagine the expressions on her face as she had told Miru the story. About twenty minutes into the story, Miiru was snoring lightly. Hiei smiled and pushed the covers up to her neck. He gently patted her head. He was about to go. Miiru's hand caught his wrist.

"Don't go..." she pleaded. He looked at her hand then turned to her; she had tears in her eyes. "Please...It's scary in the dark."

"Okay, I won't go," he said gently. He sat on the chair beside her bed again, her hand still clenched around his wrist. Miiru closed her eyes with a smile. Hiei listened to her sniffles as he soon began to doze off on the chair. _How had Ayane eased Miru's fear of the dark in the past? _He thought.

"Mommy...Mommy," Miru muttered in her sleep.

**Present: Captured**

"Koishii!" Mizuki yelled energetically, jumped on Kurama's back as he came into the house. He groaned in surprise and smiled amusingly but he had never known his wife to be this energetic. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, her legs were dangling slightly since he was taller than her. She also kissed him in the back of his ear with considerable energy.

"It's nice to see you, too, Mizuki. Why are you so energetic today?" He asked her, humoring her with a piggyback ride after she refused to get off him. This mood was much better than having her mope around the house but it was a bit unsettling. She seemed to be down over the last few weeks. She seemed to be TOO happy now.

"Hmm...Maybe it's because I went to the doctor's today and you want to know what he said to me?" She asked him. Kurama wasn't amused anymore; he tried to pry her arms from his throat but she was still holding on.

"You went to the doctor's? You were ill?" He asked, worried.

"Nope! The doctor told me I have a life inside me," she said with genuine happiness. Her cheeks were flushed. She had a wide smile. She finally released her hold. Kurama faced Mizuki with a surprised but pleased expression.

"What?" He asked breathlessly. She nodded. She was near tears now but wearing a sincere smile.

"I'm finally going to be a mommy just like I've always wanted and you-"

"I'm going to be a father," he finished quietly. Mizu nodded again.

"Well, aren't you happy?" She asked nervously. She was adorably blushing. He nodded slowly, barely able to voice his happiness. Then he walked toward her, took her in his arms and kissed the top of her head. Instead of smiling, Mizuki smirked.

Meanwhile, the real Mizuki woke up, shivering from the cold air. She groaned in pain, raising her upper body from the cold ground where she had spent her days, unconscious. Her usually neat and long chestnut hair was now dirty from sleeping on the dusty floor. Her colorful clothes was covered with dirt. Her entire body ached; her head ached the most. Her eyes opened slowly, taking in her surroundings. Her heart jumped.

To her horror, she was locked in a giant birdcage. The room that she was in was dark, the only light came from a small window across from her. From the light, the walls looked like they were made from cold hard stone.

Mizuki stood up but fell instantly, the birdcage was swinging when she had stood up. She crawled closer to the edge and touched the cold metal of the bars. The bars of the birdcage were close together so Mizuki couldn't squeeze through the spaces despite her tiny frame. "What's going on here? Where am I?" She asked with panic.

**Present: _That's a lie!_**

"I wanna take a bath with you, mommy!" Miru said happily. She was already in her balloon-print pajamas. Her long hair was stringy from having her hair washed then dried with a towel. She had already taken a bath with Yukina but now that she saw Ayane was about to take a bath, she wanted to take another one. Ayane just smiled and told her to go to bed. Little Miru frowned but then smiled sweetly.

"Okay, I'll go wait in bed then you have to tell me a story when you're done." She said.

"Deal," Ayane said, watching Miru run to her room. She sighed and went to the outdoor hot spring. As soon as she got there, she laid her stuff on the ground, took off her robe and sat down in the relaxing hot water. Her hair was tied up with a white clip. The water covered the rest of her body; only her head and shoulders were shown. She sighed contently. She can't remember the last time that she actually felt relaxed, without worrying about anything, if only for a minute.

Unfortunately, there were one of those times when a person starts to think about problems. Ayane grabbed a bar of soap and started to wash herself. **'It's Hiei's' **Mizuki's sad voice echoed in Ayane's head. The sudden voice surprised her that Ayane dropped the bar of soap; it fell into the water with a plop. She choked back her tears.

_No! It couldn't be! That's a lie! He wouldn't cheat on me! Mizuki's got to be lying but why would she lie? Why could she possibly gain from this lie? _Ayane covered her face with her hands and sobbed. _How did this happen? How did things get so bad? I've been through so much but I can't handle this. The thought of him and my bestfriend...It just can't be true! How can you do this to me, Mizuki, Hiei! Things just can't get any worse..._Ayane just sat there, sobbing into the quiet atmosphere.

A/N: Lisa's not going to give up on Ayane soon. There are two new enemies that are going to come in Ayane's, Hiei's, Mizuki's and Kurama's lives. Miru isn't safe from these enemies either.


	4. Of the Reasons Why

**Painful Memories V. 2 **by Shoujo's Revenge

A/N: Gasp! I actually updated this story after four years! Sorry this chapter isn't quite as angsty as the previous entries nor does it focus much on Hiei and Ayane though there is one scene where they fight after something happens... I was re-watching the third season of Yu Yu Hakusho and got ideas for this chapter. There's more humor than usual in this story but I can't help it. Hope you enjoy it all the same.

To set up this chapter so nobody is confused, this is before Miru is born and before Kurama and Mizuki got married. Ayane and Hiei refuses to acknowledge their feelings for each other. There had been a war between demons and human specifically demon hunters led by Ayane's powerful grandmother. Near the end of the war before she disappeared, she made up these decrees regarding demon/human interaction such as anybody crossbreeding has to be killed by demon hunters or by the demon leaders. Since Ayane was in charge of the human race as the strongest demon hunter (after her grandmother), she had to attend frequent meetings with the Makai leaders in case they had any complaints but she is lax about demon/human relationships, not wishing to govern over individuals' relationships.

Disclaimer: Yoshihiro Togashi owns the series Yu Yu Hakusho.

Chapter 4: Of The Reasons Why

**Mizuki and Ayane: Abnormal Girl Talk**

"He's angry at me." Mizuki informed Ayane, wringing the dish rag.

"Heaven forbid, Mr. Prince Charming is angry at _you _of all people? What did you do?" She asked, moving a stool to the counter. Mizuki was quiet, absentmindedly wiping the already clean table. "Mizu?"

"He asked me to marry him." She muttered, her back to Ayane.

"...And you turned him down?"

"Well, kinda...But that's not why he's mad at me. It's what happened the next day that made things worse between us." Ayane was afraid to ask but she did anyway.

"It was last week when he was helping me study for the college entrance exams when I asked him why he didn't want to go to college. It'd be a waste for him not to go to college with his high IQ. He told me he wasn't interested in attending college. I asked him what would he like to do after graduation. He said something I didn't expect." It got quiet.

"He asked you to marry him." Ayane prompted, leaning on the counter. "Go on."

"Not exactly. He just kind of casually mentioned that part. I panicked and told him all these excuses: My grandpa and my onni-chan doesn't even know about him. I'll be starting college if I manage to get accepted anyway; I can't think about marriage."

"They all sound like legit excuses to me. Besides, he's already over three centuries old and you're only a eighteen-years-old human girl. Of course, he doesn't need college like you do. He already knows everything. What does he need college for?" Ayane shrugged. Mizuki pressed the tips of her fingers together.

"The other excuse I gave him is that I haven't seen his true form yet. How could I marry someone I don't even know that well?"

"That's a legit point, too. Then what happened next."

"He dropped the subject. We went back to studying but I couldn't focus anymore so I faked a headache and went home."

"Of course like the gentleman that he is, he walked you home." Ayane said teasingly though secretly she approved.

"Right. The next day was Saturday and his family were going to be out for the rest of the day. He invited me to his house to study a bit more." Her companion rolled her eyes. Whenever Mizuki was invited to his home, it usually meant they did more than study but not more than kiss. Even after three years, they were still at the level of a newly dating couple. "Then we got bored with studying so I suggested watching a movie."

"Did he break out his hentai collection?"

"No, we watched a TV mov-" Then she finally registered the perverted comment, her cheeks flushing. "AYA-CHAN! He is not that kind of a person."

"Sure. Uh-huh. In legends, you always hear of foxes having an insatiable sex drive." The anxious look on her friend's face made her retract her statement. "Uh, sorry! It was just a joke you know! So what did you do to make him angry?"

"Here's how I know he was being serious about the whole marriage thing. I drank too much tea when we were studying so I excused myself to go to the bathroom. After I finished using the bathroom, I opened the door. I was drying my hands with my handkerchief when I saw something in the mirror which horrified me."

Ayane straightened up in her seat. Had it possibly been an enemy?

"It was this incredibly beautiful man staring at me. His hair was silver white. He was dressed in white. There were sharp white ears on each side of his head. I thought it was a pervert so I screamed 'Kurama, there's a pervert in the bathroom!' Then I grabbed the closest thing nearby to hit him with but he grabbed the plunger from me. He told me that he didn't mean to scare me. I realized it was actually Kurama."

"Yup, that's Youko Kurama. I saw his true form once. He's quite beautiful. Lucky you, Mizu." Although, beautiful men weren't Ayane's type.

"Did I mention he has a long tail?"

"Uh-huh. That makes sense." She took a sip of lemonade.

"Did I mention I accidentally stepped on it causing him to yelp in pain?" The statement was enough to make Ayane spit out her lemonade. She gaped at her friend's back then closed her trembling lips. She will _not _laugh at her plight. She will _not _laugh at her plight. It wasn't funny. Okay, yeah it was but Ayane was too good of a friend to laugh. Apparently, she wasn't. She burst out laughing trying to imagine Kurama yelping in pain like a dog. He was always calm and collected. Sometimes she respected him for that instead of his loud teammates such as Kuwabara or Yusuke.

"It's not funny! He hasn't spoken to me for two weeks. He won't even answer the phone when I call him. His family always tells me he's busy. He won't even see me when I go to his classroom."

"You probably hurt his foxy pride. The great Youko Kurama gets his tail stepped on. I don't think he would appreciate everybody in Makai finding out. Can I please tell-Never mind." Mizuki's glare shut her up. "Look, he probably has an assignment from Koenma. Don't get all worried about it. Just worry about your exams."

Ayane hadn't spoken to Yusuke or his friends for the last month. She wouldn't know if they were on a new case. There hadn't been much conflict between the humans and youkai. If there were, she, a representative of demon hunters and of Ningenkai in general, would know of it. She should really be out patrolling for any demons running amok in this world yet she was here listening to Mizuki's woes about her love life. What an irony, Ayane thought. Although, she would rather relax than save the human world. She had been fighting nonstop for the last three months, leaving her little time to study for her own exams. That was one of the negatives of being a representative of the human world; no matter if you saved their sorry asses, the teachers will still mercilessly give you homework. Although, she was able to catch up with the schoolwork unlike Yusuke.

"I guess. Thanks a lot, Aya-chan. I feel better now. Want to have a slice of the cake I made yesterday? It's the first time I attempted cheesecake. Onni-chan and grandpa likes it. Tell me what you think." Mizuki took out a large cake out of the refrigerator. Ayane eagerly rubbed her hands together.

"Don't worry. Mizu-chan's cooking is always awesome. I didn't know you liked cheesecake." She smiled at the slice of cheesecake placed in front of her.

"I don't. I just tried out the recipe Kurama's mom-Ah..." The smile slid off Mizuki's face.

_Uh-oh. Please don't cry. _

"Would you excuse me, Aya-chan? I have something I need to do upstairs." Ayane nodded. Mizuki was so distraught that she went to the living room instead of covering up her lie.

Ayane looked from to the cake to the kitchen entryway, sighing. She got up to find the plastic to wrap up her cake; a long journey awaited her. Her mission: find a certain fox youkai and yell at him for making her bestfriend cry. She winced when she heard a muffled sob from the other room. It was surprising that he would even leave her like this. Was having your tail stepped on really worth making your girlfriend worry? She was going to have to find out.

After trying all the places she guessed he would be, Ayane finally went to see Yusuke three hours later. To his knowledge, Koenma hadn't asked Kurama on any missions. She was tempted to tell the Spirit Detective about what happened between Kurama and Mizuki. An image of Mizuki crying entered her mind stopped her from divulging the embarrassing information.

"Why do you want to see him so badly?" He asked her. "Did something happen to Mizu?"

She pointed a finger at him. "I'll be frank with you, Urameshi. I wasn't happy when I found out my bestfriend was dating a fox demon especially him." For people as knowledgeable as her, his past sexual escapades were widely known.

"Oh, really?" Yusuke said sarcastically. On the day Ayane saw Kurama hugging Mizuki at her house, she had launched an attack on the redhead right in front of everyone, resulting in various knickknacks to break into a million pieces. It was lucky that Mizuki's family wasn't home. Yusuke intercepted the fight before it got any worse. Only the figurines got any of the damage. Kurama had been able to dodge all her blows.

Ayane chose to ignore his comment. "I expected him to take care of her like he promised to do. I don't appreciate him telling her something important then traipsing off to lord knows where. Mizu is at home crying because of him! All because she stepped on his tail, too! What a baby!" Her hands flew to her mouth. It was too late. They had heard everything.

_Crap. Mizuki's gonna kill me!_

**Kurama and Mizu: Foxwhore **

It was understandable to Ayane why Mizuki would pretend to like roses when she was actually allergic to them; it was to ease Kurama into thinking that it was no problem to bring his prized possession: his roses to her. Red roses meant deep love for her. She loved that until she secretly broke out in hives, quickly running up to her room to take her shot. Ayane was the one who had to lie to him that she was just having feminine problems. Mizuki would've liked her to come up with a better explanation, she would later complain. Their relationship was still kind of awkward in that way; she still couldn't tell him truths on certain things. Like how she couldn't stand that he was so much prettier than her; sometimes guys hit on him more than they pay attention to her. Ayane made matters worse by saying that Kurama liked her for her personality. It was supposed to cheer her up. After all, wasn't that the message people are always spouting: your inner beauty is more important than your outer beauty? Mizuki didn't quite take it to mean it that way. She looked through her closet, groaning. No matter what she wore, she could never outshine Kurama.

"Aya-chan."

"Hmm?" Ayane was going through her homework from all of her classes for any mistakes.

"Are you applying for any colleges?"

"No. I'll be too busy with my legacy: you know being the next leader of the demon hunters. My grandma isn't dead. She'll come back one day to recruit me back to their side. The day will come soon enough." Ayane leaned back in Mizuki's chair. Mizuki frowned from across the room.

"When that time comes, you'll have to fight with everybody again. Aren't you sick of the fighting?" She carefully plucked a blue dress from the hill of clothes on the closet floor.

"What can I do about it? My people have loathed youkai since the beginning of time. My grandma is too stubborn to let her hatred go. She was the one who raised me when my parents were murdered. How can I betray her?" Ayane whispered. "Anyway, it's not like youkai are innocent themselves. They've been causing chaos in our world knowing of our hatred. It's as if they want to stir things up."

"I don't want you to get hurt anymore. You're already hurting. Hiei-san is-" Ayane turned away.

"I rather you not talk about him!" She walked over to the window, leaning the windowsill. Her hair flowed across her back in the refreshing wind. Mizuki hung her head, pulling the sleeve of the blue dress.

"I'm sorry. I have to say it. I hate seeing you two like this. Please can you just go see him? For once in your life, just forget about what you are to each other and live out your true desires." Ayane sharply turned around.

"I don't think you're in a position to say such things to me." Ayane bit her bottomlip, clenching her fists. "Things aren't easy for me as it is for you." She tipped her head up. Their little argument was coming to an end. "Your precious youkai is here." She left Mizuki's room without a look back.

_I'm sorry, Aya-chan. I just wanted you to be truly happy for once. You shouldn't have to carry the responsibility of an entire race by yourself. I wish your grandma could see that. _

Ayane opened the door to let the redhead into the house, noting that he was carrying roses again. Mizuki would have to break into hives today. One part of her maliciously relished in the thought of her being itchy for the day but another part of her reminded that they had been friends since they were in elementary school.

"Kurama, I think you should know something about Mizuki. You see-" Ayane told him as she walked him to the living room.

The youkai huntress went back to headquarters by the time Mizuki ran downstairs, panting and clutching the railing. Kurama smiled patiently at her from the couch. She broke into a teary smile. This was the first time in weeks since they saw each other. The first thing she cried out was: "I'm sorry I stepped on your tail! I didn't mean to do it! Please forgive me."

Kurama chuckled. "It's okay. I didn't appreciate Anda-san telling everybody but other than that, I'm fine."

"What? Ayane promised she wouldn't tell anybody. I'll have to talk to her later about that. And you! Why have you been avoiding me for the last three weeks?"

Kurama nervously scratched at a spot on his face, avoiding her eyes. She couldn't possibly understand that his Youko form liked it rough. Her stepping on his tail had aroused him which didn't bode well for him; he had been thinking about her inappropriately nonstop. Mizuki wasn't the type to date Youko Kurama; she was the type to date his goody two shoes human form: Shuuichi Minamino, the gentleman.

"Kurama! Shuuichi! Did you hear what I said?" He looked down at her.

"Well, you see...There was something I wanted-" He couldn't bring himself to say that he wanted to touch her farther then just her face, her hair and her arms. He wanted more than just kisses and hugs from her. As he looked into her green eyes, he couldn't pull himself together enough to say these things. He wished this was as simple as Kuwabara frequently confessing his love for Yukina. Kurama couldn't see himself confessing to Mizuki that he wanted "to jump her bones" as Yusuke brusquely put it.

"Why didn't you bring roses like you usually do? Are you still mad at me?"

Kurama was amused. These little misunderstandings came about because they were too scared to tell each other the truth.

"I did bring you roses. I threw them out in the back while you were still getting ready. The last thing I wanted to do was make you itch." He stopped. The last comment definitely didn't sound right. "I mean, I found out that you're allergic to roses. Why didn't you just tell me? I would've given you another flower."

"The truth is I'm allergic to all flowers except the fake ones. I'm okay with those. I take it that blabbermouth told you."

"Anda-san was only looking out for you."

"Still. You still haven't told me what you were doing for the past three weeks? Another week and it would've been a whole month before we see each other. There are still a lot of problems I still don't understand in the study guide, you know!"

"Is that your way of telling me you missed me?" Mizuki countered his playful question with a serious question of her own.

"Is it true that fox demons have insatiable sex drives? Was that why you've been avoiding me for that long?" He stiffened. She hit the nail on the head. She covered her mouth, backing away.

"Were you with a beautiful fox demoness?" She wailed. "You went to be with someone else. You didn't have to treat me this way just because I'm not as good looking!"

"Wait! That's not- I was with Hiei the entire time. I thought about you everyday-" She interrupted him, pointing a finger at him.

"Ah, you even prefer men over me and you thought about how sad I would be while you were with Hiei-san! Was I just some stupid human girl to you? Aya-chan was right! Foxes really do seduce people. To think I was actually thinking about marrying a foxwhore." She muttered.

He was shocked. She was willing to marry him. That was all he heard. And the part where Ayane told his girlfriend that he seduces people. He resented that comment though he could hardly look anyone in the eyes and deny it. His past had nothing to do with their relationship. Or the part where she called him a foxwhore. Or the part that he preferred men over her. It simply wasn't true. He wasn't picky about the gender though he didn't want to tell her that either. His sexual orientation wasn't the important thing right now. The most important thing was that she understood he loved her, only her.

"When you showed me your true form, I thought that meant you were sincere about marriage. You just wanted to show off how pretty you are, didn't you?" She pouted, her arms crossed.

In a way, he was happy that she was ripping into him like this. This was their first fight. No posing. Just her frustrated emotions being released. She was jealous of his feminine appearance. She was worried that he was cheating on her, that he was possibly seducing random people, that he was a foxwhore. _Of all the years I've been alive, I've never heard anyone calling me a foxwhore. _

Mizuki stormed angrily upstairs. Kurama immediately followed her. There were a lot of things he needed to explain. First things first, he didn't appreciate being called a , he wasn't with _with _Hiei. He had merely wanted someone to tell that his problems to like Hiei, who kept telling him he was not interested in his problems. Except that when he reached the landing, he was faced with the closed door. Sighing, he made a note to just tell her things directly for future references.

"Mizuki?" He knocked. No answer. He tried the doorknob. Locked. Knock. Knock. Knock.

"I'm sorry. I'm busy studying. Please leave before my family comes home." Mizuki said airily.

He sighed. He would let her cool down until her family come back anyway. Five hours later, her older brother and grandpa came home to see an attractive redheaded girl on their couch. Mizuki woke up from her nap to greet her family and panicked when she saw Kurama still there. It took the two men a while to realize the strange girl on their couch was actually a boy. The same boy bowed respectfully at the two gaping men. He wanted to ask them if they would consider letting him marry Mizuki after graduation. That's when the two men craned their necks in Mizuki's direction. She wasn't supposed to be dating in the first place.

**Ayane and Hiei: "I'm gonna kick your ass all the way back to Makai!" **

Today was supposed to be a day off. Ayane had planned to sleep the day away. She had a hard night of patrolling, running to every place where loose youkai were causing mayhem. Her partner, Karena, an underling of hers, also an aspiring demon huntress was wreaking her own havoc. Ayane had to stop her from attacking innocent bystanders several times. Only her grandma could control the troublemaker. Tired of her bullshit, Ayane finally knocked her out and allowed one of the lower hunters to carry her home. Now it was ten in the morning and she was helping Mizuki pack. She was way too nice for her own good. Ayane taped the top box flaps together. Then she saw the bubblewrap next to her feet. She groaned, she completely forgot to put it in the box marked profanity under her breathe, she procceeded to rip the tape off and carefully wrapped the bubblewrap around each porcelain dish.

She could sense a presence behind her.

"What is it, youkai?" She asked flatly without turning back.

"Mukuro asked me to pass on a message to you." Hiei said.

"Great. What is it now? Another meeting about how this or that decree is unfair to your kind?"

"After the last war, your people insisted on these meetings. If your grandma hadn't demanded ridiculous decrees, we wouldn't have to speak at all. Here." He used the rolled up scroll to bat away a fly buzzing around him. She stood up, taking the note from him. She was right. There was a meeting with the three Makai kings scheduled for next week. She had her final exams on the same week.

"Whatever it is that's bugging them, just tell them to fix it themselves. I might be a demon huntress but I'm also a high school student. Frankly, I would like to pass my exams. I'm not going to blow them off just so I could hear complains about how unfair my grandma's decrees are. Go away!" She waved off the fly that landed on the rim of her mug.

"Is it wise to ignore it? You don't know what they want to discuss."

"As long as it doesn't lead to another war, I'm fine with whatever they want." Ayane went to grab the curtains from the window. "Can you believe the foxwhore proposed to Mizuki? They intend to marry after graduation." She turned to catch Hiei's confused expression. "Foxwhore is Mizuki's new nickname for dear Kurama." She tsked, backhanding her hand against the wall. The fly flew off before it was squished. "It seems in his absence she thought he was cheating on her with another one like him or...with you."

Hiei was displeased with her mirthful smile.

"He was _with _me. That damned kitsune. He kept telling me how he was aroused by her. Tsk. That's the last thing I wanted to hear about. What are you doing anyway? You should be protecting humans, shouldn't you?"

Ayane huffed. "You're not my grandma! Don't tell me what to do! It's my day off if you must know. Mizuki's family is moving to closer to the hospital. Her grandpa's heart condition worsened. I'm helping her pack, nosy." Her eyes followed the flight of the annoying insect. It landed on Hiei's shoulder blending in with his black cloak. She made a move to strike. "I'm just aiming for the fly. It's nothing on you, youkai."

"Don't touch me, human," he warned. Ayane lowered her hand, turning her back on him. She held one corner of the curtain. He watched her examine it for a few seconds then she started to scrunch it up into a ball and threw it unceremoniously in an empty box. He was sure that you were supposed to fold it neatly into a square or rectangle. He had watched Kurama fold his bedsheets like that once. "Why are you looking at me like that? Shouldn't you be sleeping in a tree?"

"Hn. Don't tell me what to do, human."

"You did that to me just five minutes ago! I'm just returning the favor."

"You're doing that wrong. You'll wrinkle the curtains."

"Since when are you such an expert on packing curtains?"

"You're the prime example of why humans aren't any better than _my kind_. Even that fox whore knows you're supposed to fold it up. That girl will be upset if you don't fold her curtains."

"_That girl _is Mizuki and she won't cry over some wrinkled curtains. She can iron them."

"I never thought the great demon huntress could lack common sense. You're supposed to be the leader of your race. Pitiful."

Ayane gritted her teeth. She would like nothing more than to punch his smug face in. If Yukina were here, she would've screamed the truth to her just to see his shocked face. Or maybe if she could find a suitable weapon, she wouldn't hesitate rushing at him. He'd probably just dodge each thrust, she thought ruefully. Truthfully, she had been slacking off in her training; her skills were good enough to beat lower-ranked youkai. Hiei was of another class. She calmed herself down, clenching her fists. She concentrated on taking down the framed photographs off the wall.

_Hn. What a waste of time. I'm leaving. _Hiei thought, noticing the fly making its way to Ayane's back. It landed on her upper pant area. _Die already you annoyance! _

She froze when she felt a hard tap on her behind. She whipped around, veins popping out on her forehead. Hiei was irritated that the fly managed to escape again. He didn't notice that Ayane was giving out a black aura. "You-you damned fire youkai! I'm gonna kick your ass all the way back to Makai! How dare you touch my butt!" The next thing he knew, he was dodging at least four framed photographs. Ayane picked up a chair next.

"Mizuki-chan, how are you doing in the kitchen?" Her grandpa asked her. "If you need some help, Hiiro's in the next room."

"No, we're almost finished packing everything. If you need anything, just tell me." Her grandpa chuckled.

"Oh, no, no. You're much too busy packing to help this old coot. Your friends are so nice helping us out like this. Why don't you go serve them lemonade? I made a whole pitcher just this morning." He slowly made his way to the refrigerator when a large piece of plaster fell on his head. Two loud crashes followed after causing plaster to fall down on Kurama and Mizuki's head.

"Earthquake!" Botan cried, running in the kitchen.

"Calm down, Hiei, Ayane!" Yusuke yelled from upstairs. Yukina's voice could also be heard trying to coax the two hotheads. Kurama brushed the plaster off. It seemed as though his dear friend was _playing_ with Ayane. Loud voices blended into one. Crashes, bumps and the sounds of running footsteps made them wince.

"What _is _going up on there?" Her grandpa asked, looking up.

"I'll make you regret you ever touched me, you dirty youkai!" Ayane shrieked.

"Youkai?" Her grandpa asked.

"Grandpa, you're starting to imagine things! Let's go outside for some fresh air." Mizuki quickly accompanied him to the backyard.

Botan and Kurama went to check out the damage upstairs. From the sounds of a chair being knocked over, they deduced that the two were battling in the master bedroom. The elderly man's belongings were either scattered about the floor or smashed into a million pieces. Flames snaked up the curtains. Yusuke stood in between Hiei and Ayane, his arms spread out. They were on the old man's bed, Hiei standing near the headboard and Ayane standing on the end. Scorch marks blemished the bed and parts of the wall. How was Kurama supposed to explain _this _to his future grandpa-in-law?

"I understand not being to resist a good fight but you didn't have to do it in someone else's house. What are you even doing here, Hiei?" Yusuke asked. Ayane attempted to hit Hiei with the handle of a broom.

"This pervert came to take advantage of me! Don't you think you can escape me!" Ayane jumped over Yusuke, aiming her feet at the fire youkai. Hiei dodged. Kurama sighed, extinguishing the flames by beating at it with a pillow.

"Rose whip!" He shouted, brandishing his weapon. Ayane and Hiei blinked; they were stuck back to back by the makeshift thorny rope.

"Don't you dare use your flames," Ayane warned. She wasn't in the mood to get burns.

"Now calmly tell me how did this fight come about?" Kurama surveyed the stubborn individuals. Ayane had a black eye on her left eye and at least three open gashes on her legs, her arms and on her cheek. Hiei's right bare shoulder had a long stratch mark stretching to his elbow and marks where he suspected Ayane hit him with the broom handle. Yukina and Botan set about to heal their injuries. Hiei and Ayane glared at opposite directions. "Ayane-san?"

"He sexually harrassed me! I'm going to report this _thing_ to Mukuro!"

"Say that again, human!" He growled, struggling to free himself. Ayane headbutted him back of his head. He reciprocated the gesture.

_Ow. _"Thing! Thing! I'm gonna tell on you, thing! I don't think she'll appreciate the report."

"We'll see if you'll live long enough to say anything, stinky human. If you didn't smell in the first place, that fly wouldn't land on you."

"It was on you first. It was attracted to your dirt, thing. I'd like to see you try to kill me, you... Yukina, Yukina, I have something I have to tell-" Yusuke quickly stuck a paperball in her mouth. _Hiei's your brother! _

Everybody in the room could sense Hiei's anger reaching boiling point. Botan whispered something to Yukina. The ice maiden was confused. Why did she have to pretend to cry? She didn't have to pretend to cry when Mizuki shot into the room, gasping. She took in every detail especially the broken knickknacks, her deceased parents' knickknacks. A whimper escaped her lips. She grabbed the nearest figurine of a headless ballerina and walked over to Hiei and Ayane. With one grasp, she had both of their scruffs in her hand.

"You two are PAYING FOR THIS! YOU HEAR THAT?"

"Get your hand off me, human girl."

"SHUT UP! Oh!" Emotion overcame her. She dropped the figurine, running out of the room. Muffled by the paper ball, Ayane attempted to scream out: I'm sorry, Mizuki! It was this thing's fault!

"This just isn't your day, is it, Hiei? You get beaten up by one girl and make another one cry." Yusuke commented.

Kurama freed Hiei and Ayane to run after the distraught girl. Ayane spat out the paperball. Before she could run after them, she thought she would do more damage to him. She grabbed Yukina on the way, quickly whispering something to her. Botan gasped; she was within earshot. Hiei's eyes widened. She didn't do what he thought, did she? Ayane threw a smirk his way before disappearing down the hall. Yukina looked in his direction, hands to her mouth.

"Hi-hiei-san fell in love with me at first sight?"

"If only Kuwabara were here to hear this," Yusuke wisely commented.

"Why is it that ever since Mizu met you and your friends she's been crying more than usual?" Hiiro, Mizuki's older brother whispered to Kurama as he passed by him in the kitchen. He was carrying a pitcher of lemonade and empty glasses to the living room.

"Whatever my onni-chan said, just ignore him," Mizuki said lowly, wiping away her tears. "Grandpa taught him to hate all boys who come near me. He'll learn to like you one day."

Kurama seriously doubted it. "Are you all right, Mizu?" She turned around, smiling through her sadness.

"I'm fine. I've just been stressed with everything lately. You know with grandpa's heart acting up and the exams." He nodded understandably. "Kurama." She buried her face in his shirt. He put his arms around her.

"Hmm?"

"Is it okay...if you beat up Hiei-san for me?" Complete silence. She started to shake with laughter. "I was just kidding! I'm sorry. I just wanted to cheer myself up. I'm still mad at him and Aya-chan. I guess they're wrapped up with their own problems that they don't care...Well, it can't be helped. Could you bring these sandwiches to everybody? Grandpa will catch cold if he stays out there any longer." Mizuki went out the sliding door. Kurama was worried about her though he was sure a few moments with her grandpa would do the trick. The old man always managed to make her smile.

Defeated, he picked up the tray of sandwiches. There was nothing more he could do for Mizuki. He entered the living room amidst cheers from the hungry Yusuke and Kuwabara. Almost everybody was in the living room except Hiei and Yukina.

"Is Mizu-chan still in the kitchen? My little granddaughter works too hard. She needs to learn how to relax more." Her grandpa said, sitting in the living room couch. Kurama set down the tray on the table.

"She told me she was going to get you, oji-san." He told him.

"Hmm? But she already led me back here five minutes ago. Oh, that Mizuki. She's getting so forgetful at her age." He chuckled. Ayane and Hiiro looked at each other, alarm in their eyes. Clearly, they knew something that Kurama didn't. The both of them raced towards the kitchen.

"She couldn't have gotten far," Ayane muttered.

A/N: Another gasp moment: I will be updating the original **Painful Memories** after I finish typing the twelfth chapter. Please review whether or not you liked this chapter.


End file.
